A Second Chance
by AriaLennox
Summary: Bruce Wayne is dying. Can he get a shot at redemption? Or will he just die alone?
1. Finished

Finished 

I have lived a legend.

Most legends have heros that win.

I am a hero who has lost.

I have lost everything.

My sons have given up on me.

I have grown weak and old.

There is no hope for me.

_She _was my heart. _She _could have been the answer. She _was _the answer. She _still is _the answer.

And I pushed her away.

I pushed my world away. I pushed my life away! _I pushed my love and hope away!_

I may have saved the lives of millions along with the Earth, but I am nothing more than a coward. I was afraid of happiness. I was afraid of love. I was afraid of opening myself to someone.

I have overcome my fear too late.

_Princess.. _

Her name still sounds as sweet as it did forty years ago. The thoughts of her are still bittersweet and they still sting my heart.

She hasn't aged a day. She still hasn't married. She told me that I was her only love.. If I could only tell her.

I am just skin and bones now.

Now, as I lay dying, I think of her.

I think of her sweet scent, her morality, and her dignity.

If only.. Damn being mortal.

Damn me.

I deserve to go to Hell. I have hurt the most important person in my life.

I haven't seen her in twenty five years. It was the day I had pushed her away for the last time.

_Twenty five years ago:_

_ "Bruce! Please, we are so close. I love you! Why won't you take me?"_

_ Sadness fills the air. _

_ "I don't want you, Diana."_

_ Tears roll down her face as she crashes onto her knees. _

_ "After all of these years.. Dancing around each other. I have devoted my life to you, Bruce! Have I changed? Am I not your Princess anymore? Why, Bruce, Why?"_

_ "I cannot, Diana of Themyscira. This will never work. You are immortal, I am a man. Plus, our personalities don't match."_

_ "Please, Bruce. I know you love me.. Please! Call me Princess one last time! Bruce!"_

_ "Goodbye, Diana."_

_ I turn around and walk away from her. I could hear her wails from miles away. _

_ "Princess..."_

_ Darkness roams all around me. There is no hope. Not for Batman. _

_ Not for the Goddamn Batman._

Present:

I can still hear her cries. I can still feel her heartbreak. I can still feel my life crumble away from me.

_I _did this to myself. _I _caused my downfall.

I am not afraid to die.

I am still nothing more than a coward.

I am ready to leave this world for another.

She didn't marry me, and she won't bury me.

I am finished.


	2. Patience

Patience

I am a warrior.

I was raised to fight.

I was raised to hate men.

And yet, a man has broken me.

It has been_ twenty five_ years.

I've been waiting for twenty five damned years for him to come back.

But, I have not given up hope.

I still love him as much as I did before. Even when he's dying, I still love him.

If only..

If only he wasn't mortal. Then, I would never have to lose him.

I pray for him ever single night. To all of my Patron Gods. Athena, Hera, Artemis, Demeter, Hermes, Hestia, and Aphrodite. My Gods have never failed me, and I doubt that they will now. They will help Bruce and I.

I trust them. And I will wait for Bruce.

But Bruce only has so much time.

That Bastard.. We danced and danced, and then he broke my heart.

I hope that they grant my wish.

Oh, Bruce..

_Twenty Five Years Ago:_

_ Oh, Hera. I feel horrible right now. How could he do this? To me! _

_ I am an Amazon! I will not be treated like this! _

_ Is it even possible to extremely love and hate someone at the same time? _

_ Look at me! I'm eating soul food in my bed and watching daytime soaps. Kal begged me to take a week off. Sweet, sweet, Kal. Why did I have to fall in love with Bruce? Why?_

_ I fell in love with a figure of the night. _

_ A freaking bat. _

_ I hate that stupid bastard! _

_ But I love him so much.. _

_ Bastard. _

_ Present Day:_

If only he could... If.. Bruce!

But, I will wait.

He'll come around.

I have all the time in the world, and let's hope that soon, Bruce will too.


	3. Succeed

Succeed

You know, being the Goddess of Love isn't easy.

These humans get so tiresome. Shoot an arrow here, fix a marriage there.. It's all the same every single day.

But if there's one pair I can't help but looking into, it's Bruce Wayne and Diana of Themyscira.

They are meant for each other! I swear, those two make me want to kill them for their ignorance. They just can't work things out because of _"issues" and "limits."_

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Excuses, excuses..

Bruce is elderly, Diana's immortal, and both are still stubborn. But, I'm determined to get these two together.

_I will succeed. _

I owe it to Diana as a Patron Goddess and to Bruce for his good deeds.

They deserve it, after all. They've devoted their lives to ensure the safety of others. But now, the world is getting safer and safer, and they've earned the privilege of love.

Now, it's my job to make that privilege turn into a reality.

I will have to fight for them, but Zeus is going to have to grant me my wish. If he doesn't, I'll just get Hera to agree. And Hera controls Zeus, so I'll get what I want.

I know that I'll get permission, but _how _am I going to get them together?

Bruce is eighty five years old, and Diana doesn't look a day over twenty seven. It won't help if I just make Bruce Wayne thirty again. Plus, Hippolyta wouldn't be happy if she found out her daughter wasn't immortal because of a man.

_I got it! _

We shall grant Bruce Wayneimmortality.

It won't be simple, though. He'll have to pass a series of tests. We'll reset his age to his prime, so he is physically and mentally fit.

And, it's nothing new. Eros got his mortal, Psyche. I don't even want to talk about that.. Ugh.

We did it once, and we'll do it again.

Quite the plan, I admit.

And, it's a genius plan.

Great! It's set. I shall propose this plan to my fellow Olympians soon. And until then, I will make sure that Bruce does not die.

Diana better pray to me _even more_ this week. She's got me running around, requesting council and dealing with Hades.

Eh, it's okay, after all...

I'm a sucker for love, too.

I'm going to give them a chance. Love never dies, and deserving heros don't either.

Bruce and Diana _will _succeed.

And I'll help them get there.


	4. Changes

Confusion

Great.. Another day on this earth. The one time I want my heart to fail me, it pulls through. I guess my time just hasn't come.

I don't know if this is a good thing or not. I guess I'll just have to find out today.

The sun is shining here in Gotham. The birds are singing and children are laughing. I have done this city good service. No one would have ever thought that, a mere thirty years ago, Gotham was a crime-infested city. Everyone loves home, right? So, why wouldn't you try to help it? I owed Gotham. For a while, it was the only thing I had. In my youth and recently. Once Alfred passed away, my sons had grown and left, and _she_ gave up.

No, _she _didn't give up. It was _me. _No, I didn't give up. I didn't even start it.

But even Gotham isn't mine anymore. I'm just alone.

I sit up in my bed and stretch. Why do I not feel tired and old? I feel young again. This is so strange.

I glance down at my hands and..

Oh my God.

No wrinkles. No bulging veins. No loose skin.

I rush out of my bed and stand in front of my mirror.

How? What? Why?

Magic.

I look like I'm thirty again. Last night, I was eighty five years old. Now, I'm fifty five years younger. My wrinkles are gone, my eyes look brighter, and my hair's black again. Bruce Wayne during his time of glory.

This may be the first time I have appreciated magic. But, who would have done this? And why?

Could she have done any of this? No... She probably still hates me. Zatanna might have, but then again, why? Circe would rather kill me than strengthen me.

It wouldn't hurt to talk to her, would it?

_Last Night, on Mount Olympus, From Aphrodite's Perspective:_

_"Zeus!", _I scream as I dash into the courtyard.

I need Zeus to approve of this. Bruce Wayne deserves immortality. _I'm going to win this. I will. _

"Father, I have a request."

Zeus pops another grape into his mouth as he shifts his seat on the chaise longue. "What is it, my child?"

I take in a deep breath and flash him one of my gorgeous smiles. "I want Bruce Wayne to be immortal. He and Diana of Themyscira belong together! I would do it in an instant, but I don't have that power. But, you do! Please, Father? I know they will both do whatever it takes. Please? For me? Please?"

Zeus covers his mouth as he yawns and shrugs. "Why not? But, he'll have to pass some kind of test. Ooh! We'll have him rescue Diana from the depths of the Underworld. It's great!"

The Underworld? Really?

"Any other ideas of how he could get immortality?"

I really hope there are. I don't want Bruce to be exposed to the horrors of the Underworld. I've only been there once, and I never want to go there again. I was meeting up with Persephone for a stroll in the gardens.

What a walk that was..

"No. For Bruce Wayne of Gotham, no. He will take what he gets."

Fine...

"Thank you so much, Father. I appreciate it greatly. Should I deliver the news or should you?"

"You will. You will bring Diana and Bruce together and tell them then."

"I shall, Father. I am humbly grateful for this."

Yes! Yes! Bruce is going to be immortal! And they're going to be together! And they're going to be young, get married, have children, and be in love... And be in love! I am so glad!

"We'll make him young as soon as possible. But, he'll earn his immortality. Okay?"

"Sounds great!"

Zeus pops another grape into his mouth and smiles. "Good job, Aph. Go make me proud and get some humans to fall in love."

I love it when my father's like this. All open and informal.

_ "_I will, Dad_. I will._"

_Back in the Present: _

Pick up the phone, already! Come on!

"Hello?"

Oh my God. It's her. It sounds so good to hear her voice again!

"Diana."

I sound like a fool.

"Bruce! Oh my Gods! How are you?", she asks. "I feel great. I need to see you. Urgently."

I can hear her breathing awkwardly and shiver. "What's wrong?"

"I think you need to see this for yourself. I'm in The Manor. Come as soon as you can, okay?"

"Okay, Bruce. I'll be right there."

_Diana's Apartment, New York City, Present Day:_

What just happened? Did Bruce actually call me?

Wait, why should I help him? He broke my heart, and hasn't talked to me in decades! Ah, whatever. I just didn't talk to him because he never called.

This is my calling!

"Wonder Woman to Watchtower. There's an emergency at Wayne Manor.", I say into my comm-link.

"Are you sure, Diana? _Wayne Manor?_", Kal replies.

"No.. But, he asked me to come personally. It's been years.. It won't hurt me, will it?"

"He's the only one who hurt you, Diana."

"Just transport me, Kal. I'll be okay."

"I trust you. If he tries anything or hurts you, I'm only a call away."

"I know, Kal."

I can feel myself dematerialize into the air.

It's the moment of truth.

I'm going to see Bruce again.

And I'm freaking excited!


	5. Reunion

Author's Note: Hey, guys! Sorry about the huge delay of this. But, at least I wrote it, right? Anyways, this chapter's nickname is "Chapter Mush", so get ready for the mushiness! Alright, read ahead!

Reunion

You know how I said that I was "freaking excited"? That was a lie. Wally must have infiltrated my mind and blurted out the words, because I am everything but excited. Well, maybe for the look on his face when he sees me in this dress.. Hera, he's going to regret ever hurting me.

_Stay focused, Diana. _

I need this for closure, not anything else.

My tale has nothing happy or joyous about it. Why would I be excited to see the bastard who broke my heart so long ago? I've been emotionally crippled ever since. Sure, I'm still in the League, but I feel empty,. I tried dating Steve Trevor, but I couldn't continue on without thinking of him.. Because he's the only one I loved.

I'm only one in a long list of women in Bruce's life. Who could forget the ever so seductive and sly Selina? What about Talia, who willingly continued to fight for evil over love? It seems like I'm the last one on the list.

Dead last.

But, who needs men? Who needs Bruce? I am the 'Champion of Amazons', after all. I only need the Gods, my sisters and myself.

I materialize in the entrance hall of the Manor, which doesn't seem to have changed. Still the dark and gloomy place I remember, except it's only intensified without Alfred.

I miss Alfred to this day. What I wouldn't give to hear his voice again.. Hera. He was so kind to me, giving advice and making masterpieces made of food. He's resting in peace in Elysian fields right now. He truly was a great man.

I walk over to the kitchen and stop at the edge of the counter. Bruce kept it the same, I guess. One day, I'll bake Alfred a cake and place it in front of his grave. He'll appreciate the effort, at least.

I pass the remainder of the rooms along the main hall and make my way up the stairs.

It's still a long walk up to disappointment.

I swear, all of my memories of this place are ill-fated ones. Not a single one had been good, disregarding the ones with Alfred. Then again, I must be Bruce's kryptonite, because he used to always push me away.

I make my way to Bruce's door and rest my hand on top of the door knob. I give it a slight twist and open the door.

I can't do this.

"Diana.."

Oh, Gods.. It's Bruce.

I step into the room and stop before him.

He's young again. What the Tartarus happened? Hera, what is going on?

"Bruce..?"

His eyes are shining again, as blue as sapphires. Gods, he's gorgeous.. Just like I remembered him.

Why the Tartarus can't I move?

I blush as he walks forward to me. He takes my hand and smiles slightly. He pulls me to him and takes me into his arms.

"Oh Hera, Bruce.."

Oh, Tartarus. What am I doing? Why does he always do this to me? He looks at me and I feel like mush inside. My Gods..

"I know Princess, I know."

His breaths quicken but become softer.

"I've waited for so long.."

He adjusts himself so he can face me. He looks at me for a few moments when I touch his cheek.

"I've missed you more than you could imagine, Princess."

I smile, probably like a lovesick teenager, and press my body closer onto his.

"You don't know how much it means when you call me 'Princess'."

He nodded and his eyes darken, which I can only think meant that he was reminiscing of that unfortunate night.

"I am so sorry, Diana."

Our foreheads meet and eventually, our eyes lock. His eyes were filled with desire and willingness. This is such a new side of Bruce to me. He's actually opening up to me, his kryptonite!

Our lips meet and.. Oh, Hera. This is wonderful.

Our tongues begin to intertwine and our lips loosen up. I can feel his hands wander around my back and legs as mine situate themselves in his hair. A neglected desire between us just erupts, making the kiss turn into a full-fledged embrace. He's still the great kisser he used to be, that's for sure.

We slowly pull our lips apart, which seems harder than fighting Bizarro, Giganta, Lex Luthor and Gorilla Grodd put together.

Bruce smiles at me and kisses me again, this time simple and sweet.

"I love you, Bruce. I've said it before and I'll say it now. I can't ignore you anymore. And now that you're young again, we can give this relationship a second chance. We can start over, Bruce!"

Bruce caresses my cheek and presses his lips to my forehead.

"I love you too, Princess. I always have and always will until the day I die.. Which I don't know when it'll be now. Do you know what happened?"

"I'm as clueless as you are."

Oh my Gods. We press ourselves closer together, chest to chest, thigh to thigh, heart to heart.

A white light circles around us, which can only mean one thing.

"I am so glad to see this finally happen!," the Goddess Aphrodite cheers.

Holy Aphrodite.. She's even more beautiful than the last time I saw her.

"Your Grace! I am so honored to see you once again," I smile. Aphrodite grins and leans against Bruce's dresser.

"You make the perfect couple, you know that? Irresistibly gorgeous, you two. So, you must be wondering why Bruce is so young, am I right?"

We nod.

"It's simple. I love seeing you two together, along with everyone else in the universe. With Bruce on the verge of death, I had no other choice but to intervene. With the permission of Zeus, I made Bruce young again. And you know why I did that? Because I'm a softie and a hopeless romantic, which is expected of me, being the Goddess of Love and all. You two needed a second chance at romance and love.

But this wasn't easy to figure out. I couldn't just take away Diana's immortality, because I couldn't even imagine how upset Hippolyta would be with me. Turning your age back wouldn't fix things either, since Diana would end up heartbroken again.

So, what did I do?

I'm giving you, Bruce Wayne, a shot at immortality. All you have to do is, you know, battle a few demons in the Underworld and reach the center of Tartarus. Good thing is that you don't have a time limit. Bad thing is that you can still die. But, you'll have Diana by your side one hundred percent of the way.

Any questions?"

Oh my Gods.

"How are we supposed to get to the Underworld?," Bruce asks.

Aphrodite smiles and sits on top of the dresser. "You don't go there physically, but mentally. You'll still be there and traveling all the way, just from the comfort of your own home. Two people will have to be looking after you, whom I have already picked out."

"Who are they?," I blurt out, "If I may ask."

"Dick Grayson and Donna Troy. It's about time that those two saw each other again. With Dick over with all of his former flames, he's bound to get in a midlife crisis. Donna isn't compatible with any of those Green Lanterns or Red Arrows, trust me. And Dick's age is turned back also, and he'll be granted immortality if you complete your quest_ and_ if he falls in love with Donna. Anyways, there is no way around it, so no replacements. They'll be taking care of your bodies while you're battling."

"I'm going to be immortal?"

Aphrodite nods and sighs contently. "You lucky ducks are going to be together forever."

"Thank you so much, Goddess."

She whisks her hair over one shoulder and smiles, "My pleasure. Just pray to me when all four of you are ready. I better get going. See you soon, darlings!"

She disappears, leaving a puff of white smoke to wander around.

"What the Hell just happened?," he asks.

I smile and kiss his cheek. "You can't run away from me anymore."

He sighs and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. "That's true. And I don't want to push you away. All of these years, I've missed you so badly. I sound like a pansy, don't I.."

"The exact opposite, Bruce."

He brings his lips to mine once again as he lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his torso and rest my elbows on his shoulders.

I could stay like this forever.

And once we beat the hell out of Tartarus, we'll be able to.


	6. Initiation

Disclaimer: I do not own anything!

Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long! School's consumed my life, unfortunately. Well, here is the next chapter! (No mush, I assure you!)

Initiation

"Ugh, more divorce papers. She won't stop, will she? I knew she just married me for the money..," I groan. It's been six months since I divorced my ex-wife, Carrie. She's everything Bruce warned me about; Beautiful, tall, and too clingy. At the time, I thought he was talking about Diana or Selina, but I guess he was right.

I pick up the papers and head to my kitchen.

I like being retired from crime fighting. It's quiet and peaceful being a normal citizen. It's not that bad being a boring old computer programmer.

Who am I kidding? I hate it.

But, I can't go back now. I'm inching fifty closer than I could ever imagine. Anyways, it's the past. I don't think I know anyone anymore who still has a time machine.

I grab my coffee pot and begin to fill it with water. I look into the glass and freeze in my tracks.

"No. Way."

I drop the coffee pot, which shatters on the ground, but I still can't move, aside from caressing my face.

"I'm twenty four again! I gotta call Wally."

I run to the phone and start dialing when I hear the doorbell.

"Hey, Dick? It's me, Donna. I have to talk to you about something," Donna says from the outside.

I manage my way around the glass and open the door to another of my exes.

"Hey, so have you heard about Diana and Bruce? - Oh, Hera! What happened to you? You haven't looked like this since.. Oh my Gods! Aphrodite's done it to you too!," she rambles.

_She's gone insane. Who knew someone could talk that fast? _

"Alright, just come in. Watch the glass."

_Five minutes later:_

"What do you mean Bruce is young again? I thought he was weeks away from death!"

Donna shakes her head and looked at me. "Nope. And he's going to be immortal.. And so will you."

_What?_

"Alright, Donna.. I know we ended badly, but this has gone too far. Stop fooling with me!"

"Me? I'm telling you the absolute truth! Listen, Diana and Bruce are going to the center of Tartarus and we have to watch over them. And if we fall in love, you're going to be immortal and young, too."

"Hah! Me and you? Forever? I don't think so."

"Well, we weren't horrible together. We _used _to be best friends."

"And that's why it's not going to happen."

"Seriously, you're turning into Bruce."

"I'm not that bad.."

"You shouldn't be surprised, you jerk. I bet that's how you lose all the chicks. I'll see you soon," she finishes as she walks to the door. She twists it open and reveals no other than Bruce and Diana, carrying heaps of armor and their best costumes, among other preparations.

"You've got to convert the non-believer," Donna quipped.

_Maybe this isn't that bad.. Me and Donna? Improbable, but not impossible. And Bruce and Diana? I thought that ended years ago.. _

_An Hour Later:_

_They are way too good at convincing. "It's going to be great for the family, Dick.", "It'll only be a week or so.", "It's a life changing opportunity!", were all arguments used against me._

"Alright, I'll do it.. When is thing going to happen?"

Diana looks at Bruce and grins, "Right now."

Donna and Diana motion for us to all hold hands and call Aphrodite.

"Goddess Aphrodite, blessed with beauty and grace, we accept your offer," Diana whispers.

A white light surrounds us and, lo-and-behold, Aphrodite is standing right next to us.

"Yay! I am so happy for you all! Now, I'll let you finish up and then I'll send you in. Dick, Donna, are you prepared for this?," Aphrodite asks.

"Yes, Your Grace," Donna smiles.

"And you, Richard?"

"Eh, if Bruce is happy, I'll do it."'

Aphrodite chuckles and tousles my hair. _This chick must think I'm five years old or something.._

Donna laughs as I scowl. "Thanks, Donna. You're so supportive."

"I've missed you, you know."

"I guess I have, too."

_In Another Room:_

I can't believe I'm going to be doing this. One minute, I'm an old grump, and the next I turn into a completely changed person.

I don't know what exactly made me happier. I guess it's the fact that I'm getting another try to make things right. My whole life I've pushed people away, just focusing on one main mission. But now that I've achieved that goal, I can finally do something for myself. All of my former villains have passed away, and I guess life's been good on everyone, so crime has been at an all time low. The Justice League's become some kind of club for people with super powers that occasionally fights battles.

"Bruce, are you alright? You've been holding your cowl and staring at it for a whole minute now," Diana smiled.

"Of course."

She secures her lasso and stretches. "I'm ready. I'll be in the living room," she says before giving me a kiss.

"Alright. I'll be out soon."

I look at my cowl again as a slight smile creeps upon my face.

It'll be a triumphant return for The Batman, as well as Bruce Wayne. I put it on along with my Kevlar gauntlets.

_"You're finally ready, Bruce." _

I walk out of the room and am greeted by three shocked faces.

"It's been a while since we've seen Batman and Wonder Woman side by side," Donna smiles.

Aphrodite clapped her hands and giggled with joy. "I guess we are all ready, then. Good luck, everyone. Oh! I almost forgot, I have a map of Tartarus for you two," she says as she hands it over, "It's in Greek, but I know that won't be a problem, right Princess?"

"Not at all, Your Grace."

"Alright then! Next stop, The Underworld."


	7. Arrival

Arrival

"Hera, it's hot in here..," Diana whispers. I look around and take in the scenery of Tartarus. It's exactly what I thought Hell would look like- fiery, dark, and very rocky. This sure isn't a place where I would want to live.

"You still have the map, right?" I ask. She nods and hands it to me.

"You haven't forgotten your Greek, have you?" she laughs.

"I'm not _that_old, Princess," I reply.

I open the scroll and see an elaborate map with circles and Greek symbols and the Styx running throughout the land. "Body, Soul, and Mind," Diana tells me.

"What?"

"The names of the circles. My guess is what our challenges are going to be based off of."

"And center," I note. "That's where we're going."

"It's going to be really tough, Bruce. But luckily, we're both in our primes."

"Yes. Diana, we need to make a pact. I'm almost positive that they're going to try to split us up and then we will lose. You're my only help in this Hell, so we need to be sure to trust each other.. No matter what happens in here. I can't lose you again, immortal or not. I'm not going to live an empty life again."

I promise, Bruce."

A familiar white light encircles us and lifts us both into the air. "Hello again, my favorite couple," the voice of Aphrodite announces. As much as she is nosy, she is helpful.

"In the Underworld, you will meet incredibly tough challenges that test everything in your beings and will try the strength of your relationship. And to help you out, the Gods and I are giving you gifts! And who doesn't like gifts? These will help you tremendously in your journey."

Diana looks at me and holds my hand.

"Hephaestus has granted you both invincible swords, Artemis gives you enchanted arrows, I'm giving you unbreakable love, Athena is gifting you both with wisdom, Apollo blesses you with great health, and Zeus is giving you luck. So, you have a pretty big support group rooting for you, as you can see." The voice laughs and pauses for a moment.

"Oh, as a word of advice, Hades and Persephone are not your enemies- Hades is a softie at heart and Persephone is a sucker for love, so if you do encounter their presence at some point, do not be inclined to attack. And the events detailed in your journey are not directed at you specifically and were not created by any one God specifically. Heroes are no strangers to the Underworld, but few succeed. I wish you both the best of luck and I will try to help when I can. No loopholes in this, I promise you. Remember, just reach the center of Tartarus together and you will win. If you fail, Bruce will have to live in the Elysian Fields and Diana will live on Themysicra forever. But, we all know that isn't going to happen. Now, your journey awaits!"

The white light lowers us and fades slowly.

"Ready?" Diana asks me.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

She wraps her arms around my neck and brings her lips to mine. "A kiss for good luck," she smiles.

"You're lucky that we're destined to be together, Princess,' I joke.

"Wasn't the only good luck kiss we've had.. Well, I guess that would be considered a good luck escapade, right?"

"Touché."

She slinks away and we begin to walk into the depths of Tartarus.

Diana takes out the map and pauses for a moment. "We're going to Body first," and points to a picture of a Hydra.

Oh, God. A Hydra. Wonderful.

"Well, it is Tartarus, after all."

We've been walking for what seems like forever. All that's around are chasms and rock formations. At least I have her with me.

"Well, this isn't too bad, I guess. Bruce, watch out!" Diana yells. I duck down and pull out a batarang as Diana slings out her sword and swiftly beheads a winged demon, prompting the head and the body fall onto the ground.

"Well, that was strange," she sighs.

The body starts to twitch and reattaches its head to its body.

What the Hell is this"

"Diana? It's not dead.."

"Yes it is, I just killed it," she says as she turns around. "Hera!," she yells as she stabs it in its heart. She twists the sword deep into the chest and flings the demon into the distance.

"There, that should do it."

I hear a loud, shrill cry in the air, followed by the sound of wings flapping. "Princess, I don't think we're done here," I say as I take out my sword. A swarm of the demons head for us, circling around and trying to attack. We position ourselves back to back and prepare to strike. "Aim for the hearts, Bruce. That's the only way to kill them."

"Gods, Bruce!" Diana yells as she takes down the last of the creatures. "I hope that never happens again," she sighs.

"You did amazing, though." She really did. She showed no signs of fear and struck them right in their hearts.

She smiles and puts her sword away. "You did pretty good, yourself. You haven't lost it, old man."

"Hey, I'm pretty sure I'm doing better than any other 80-somethings you know."

"That's true," she laughs as she kisses me. She slips the cowl off of my head and looks into my eyes. "I love you so much, Bruce. I really can't believe this is happening to us. I'm still expecting my alarm to go off and wake up into the real world.'

"I feel the exact same. It's like it's too good to be true.'

"Well, we're both good people, and we deserve happiness. And we will get our prize."

"Hopefully. And even if we don't, I will never regret it."

"Neither will I, Bruce. Even if I have to be stuck on Themyscira forever."

"I love you, Princess." We kiss again and slowly break apart. We begin to walk again, further into Tartarus.

"It's funny, I feel like I'm in Heaven right now."

"I do too, Bruce," she says as I take her hand. This is perfect.

_Back in the Real World.._

"Hey, where's your cocoa powder?" Donna yells from the kitchen.

I don't have cocoa powder."

"Fine," she shrugs as she walks back into the living room. "They haven't moved a bit. It's been two hours and nothing's happened to them. Which is good, don't get me wrong," she sighs. She sits next to me on the couch and puts her knees to her chest.

"I guess even Hell isn't as bad as the evils on Earth."

"You can say that again.."

There's an awkward silence between us. I don't know, I haven't felt myself around Donna. We went through some really tough stuff when we started to transition from being just friends and then into a relationship, and then we just split up.

"What's new with you, Donna?'

"Well, other than this, I've started to work as an art critic for the New York Gazette."

"So you ended up doing something you've always loved."

"You can too, Dick. I mean, if you get this second chance, you can do whatever you want! You don't have to be stuck being a programmer or work from nine to five. You're a great guy, Dick, and no one can stop you."

"I guess you're right. I mean, the only thing stopping me from doing what I love is myself."

"It doesn't have to be that way. And if you ever need help, I'm always here for you. I don't care about what happened between us before this. I can forget about the stupid stuff we did as kids. I'll always be your friend, no matter what.'

"That means a lot, you know. I'm willing to start over if you are."

"Alright, it's a deal. A blank slate for the both of us."

I'm starting to feel for her again.. I haven't felt like this is a long time. Who knows, maybe I needed some time to give this a chance.

Our fingers interlock slowly and she puts her knees down, shifting her body towards me. I kiss her and she replies by slipping her tongue into my mouth. We widen the kiss as she crawls on top of me, straddling over my legs. We end the kiss as we run out of air, entangled in each other and laughing at ourselves.

"I've missed you so much, you know?" Donna laughed.

"Same here, Donna." Things are beginning to look up.


	8. Challenged

Nothing owned! Oh, and review!

Challenged

"So, are we close to the Hydra yet?" Diana asks as she sits down onto the sandy terrain of Tartarus. She wipes her forehead and adjusts her gauntlets. "It is like an oven in here," she groans.

It is unbelievably hot in Tartarus and the temperature never shifts. It just stays at a constant insufferable level.

"We're pretty close to the Hydra. I'm pretty sure we'll be able to tell where it is, though. As a water monster, it has to live in a swamp or a river, or something like that."

Diana smiles and scoffs, "Well, I knew that.."

"Sure, Princess. No sarcasm."

"Of course not."

She lies down in the sand and sighs as I sit next to her. "I wonder how long this journey will take," she whispers.

"Well, I don't really know. There's no sense of time over here. But at least we don't have a time limit."

"I guess. I don't know why I feel so nervous about this.. I think it's just that I never want to lose you again. I mean, I was finally getting over this relationship when this whole thing began. It might seem silly coming from an Amazon, but getting over you was the hardest thing I've ever done. But still, I am totally willing to take you back."

"I never knew that I hurt you to that extent..."

"It's okay, Bruce. I understood where you were coming from. But the most important part is that we're both ready to make this work."

I take her hand and give it a squeeze. "I promise I won't revert to my old ways."

She smiles as she crosses her arms behind her head. "I could just lie here with you forever."

"Well, technically we can.."

She begins to laugh but pauses with a serious look on her face. "No, it'll be better if we just get this finished as soon as possible. Once we get back to our world, the fun can begin."

"Always the rational one, you are. But you deserve this much," I say as I lean in for a kiss.

"I suppose so," she laughs as she presses her lips onto mine. "Now, let's go!" she exclaims as we get up.

After a long trek through vast spans of desert, we come across a swamp. It's an unnatural green color, filled with large grassy plants and thin trees. "I'm going to go first. I don't want you to be hurt," I say. I take a first step into the swamp, and luckily, nothing happens. A second, same thing.

"I'd say it's safe.. For now."

Diana looks at me and bites her lip, thinking intently. "I think it'd be smarter if we just fly there. That way we don't need to swim the whole way," she suggests as she takes my hand. She looks at me to check if it's okay, and surprisingly I am.

"Sure. Let's do it."

She wraps her arms around me and starts to fly. This definitely is weird, but I'm okay with it. The swamp is gigantic, but it's completely still. It's as if something is not right.

"Alright, here's the plan. Once the Hydra appears, I am going to drop you onto it. I'll be cutting off heads and distracting it as you find and dismember the immortal head. And the only way we can stop the heads from regenerating is to either use the monster's own venom on our swords or setting fire to each neck. Sounds good?"

"I'm ready whenever this Hydra shows up. Do you see anything?"

"Nope."

The water starts to bubble slowly, as if coming to a boil. "Get ready, Diana."

She nods as she brings us higher into the sky, just in case. The swamp is violently bubbling, water splashing all over the plants and into the sky. Countless heads of the Hydra emerge slowly from the water until, suddenly, the entire creature erupts onto the surface.

"You ready?" I yell over the roars of the gigantic monster. "As ready as I'll ever be."

She drops me onto the monster as she gets closer. I land on the massive body of the creature, who is apparently unaware of my presence as Diana distracts them. She flies to the bottom of the monster, stabbing its body and twisting in her sword to get a good amount of venom onto her weapon. She then flies up and starts to swing her sword at the heads.

In the meantime, I'm trying to find the immortal head. I'm looking for some sort of hint, but I'm also cutting off the heads with my sword. We're dividing and conquering with this beast.

Diana flies closer to the Hydra and cuts off three heads in one swing. "Have you found it yet?" she yells. "No! I've cut off at least twenty heads!"

She continues to whack away at the monster as I search for the head. Both of us are getting the venom over ourselves, but I'm more concerned for Diana, as I'm wearing my protective suit.

Oh my God, I think I found it. I see a head with an orange ring around its neck. I scramble towards it with my sword in hand. I grab hold and promptly slice it.

"I got it!" The rest of the heads dislocate and the monster begins to collapse. "Diana!" I yell as she swoops down to get me. She grabs me as the monster plunges into the swamp, causing gigantic waves.

"See, that wasn't too bad.." I say.

She looks at me and smiles. "Let's get cleaned up," she replies as we fly away. The swamp slowly turns into a pristine lake of a brilliant blue hue. We land at the end of the body of water, Diana slowly letting me down as she lands on her feet.

"I'm anxious of what's next," she says as she stoops down to wash her face.

"Don't worry about it," I say as I sit down.

She rolls her eyes at me before she dives into the lake.

Women.

She emerges, looking radiant, and most importantly, venom-free and clean.

"Look at that!" she exclaims as she sits next to me, "It's so hot that I'm already dry!"

"It is Hell, after all.."

I open up the map of Tartarus and point to our next destination, the circle of Mind.

"This one will definitely be harder.. Both of us are logical, so it's going to be interesting to go through this."

"All we have to do is think with our hearts. We both love each other and we know what we have to do. As long as we stay true to our goals, we'll be fine."

I look at her and kiss her. "Thank you."


	9. Strength

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry for the long delay! Hopefully I can keep on writing this summer without university on my mind. Enjoy! **

Strength

I'm concerned.

It's been easy in the Underworld. _Too _easy.

Bruce and I have been walking on the same path for what seems like forever. I feel like I'm going to burst from anticipation. I don't like stealth. I like directness and confrontation. I like the truth. I can't take this wait for too much longer.

"Bruce, what do you think's going to happen? It's the realm of the mind. It won't be too hard, will it? As long as we're strong, we'll be fine, right?"

He looks at me and lets out a breath. He seems tense.

"I'm not sure. We'll just have to find out."

I nod my head and cross my arms. Silence circles around us for a while. I wonder what he's thinking about. I wonder if he's as anxious as I am.

"Diana, look at that, in the distance. It looks like the desert ends. It's almost like there's a wall over there."

"You're right. Come on, let me fly you there."

He looks at me sternly and gives me one of his famous glares.

"You know my policy about that."

I roll my eyes and smile, "Come on, I'm dying over here. I need to find out what we're going to face next."

He sighs in recognition and stops. I give him a kiss on the cheek and grin.

Finally.

I can't believe it. I can't even see when the wall ends. And the only thing that breaks up this monster's intimidation is a silver door with a ruby doorknob.

"Should we go in?" I ask.

"Now or never."

Bruce places his hand slowly on the handle and retains a firm grip on it. He looks back to face me and nods his head. He twists the handle slowly and opens the door.

There's nothing inside. It's completely black.

He takes my hand and I walk up to him.

"Now or never," I assure him.

We slowly walk through the door into the vast emptiness. The door slams shut and disappears instantly.

Suddenly, I feel myself slip away from Bruce. Something's pulling me away.

"Bruce!" I yell out as I extend my hand. He's moving away as well.

"Stay strong, Diana."

I try to fight the pull, but the harder I fight, the stronger it tugs back.

He's getting smaller.

I'm getting engulfed in the black space, as if it were sheets draping my body.

I feel my body slam against something.

Hera, give me strength.

"Diana, wake up! You've been sleeping for so long! You must've been exhausted from our last practice, huh?"

I instantly recognize the voice. It's Donna.

I open my eyes and see myself at home in Themyscira. I'm lying in my bed, wrapped up in my bedsheets.

"Want something to eat? Mother wanted me to make sure that you're okay." Donna asks.

"I'm fine. How long have I been out for?"

Something isn't right. This doesn't make sense. Why am I home?

"Six hours, I'd say. Sparring usually doesn't make you this tired. Weird, right? You're sure that you're okay?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm alright. But, where's Bruce?"

Donna looks at me queerly and lets out a little laugh.

"Who's Bruce? Is that the name of your new horse or something?"

I shake my head and reply, "The man, Donna."

"Men? Why would there be any men here? You don't even know any men, Diana. You must've had some dream."

"No, this is the dream," I say as I rush to my feet. I run to the window and see the ocean below me.

"I have to go."

I head for the door until Donna gets in my way.

She lets out a laugh and shakes her head. "I'll get Mother, she'll straighten you out. You're just imagining things!"

"You're not real!" I yell.

She looks at me with sincere eyes and reaches out for my hand.

"Diana, I'm your sister. Of course I'm real!" She smiles and leans in to hug me. I jerk back and push her away with my full strength.

"You're not real!"

She crashes into the door and slumps down. "Diana, you're insane!" she groans.

"None of this is real!" I scream back as I start to break things. I look at the window and an idea instantly pops into my head. I sprint to the window and crash through it, sending myself to plunge into the ocean.

I need the truth. I need reality.

As my body is about to slam against the water, I feel myself violently jerk backwards.

I see the darkness again.

"Bruce!" There's no reply. I try again. I try to run, to no avail.

I let out a scream in frustration and try to push forward. The force pulls me back and grips my waist tightly. It slinks up my neck and to my head. The pressure is so strong.. I feel like I'm trapped under an entire mountain. Stay strong, Diana.

"Come on, Daddy! Catch me!"

I run after my little boy as he yells in excitement.

"I'm going to get you!" I laugh as I come close to him. I scoop him up into my arms and twirl him around.

"Now, tell me something. Is Mommy your favorite or am I?"

"Hey, now. You can't just be asking that kind of question behind my back," Diana laughs. She walked to us and gave both of us kisses.

"Bruce, we both know who Tommy likes best. It's obviously me," she grins as she take our son from my arms and into hers.

I press a kiss onto her forehead and take the two of them into a hug.

"Come on, it's time for dinner. I made your favorite!" Diana smiles as she sets Thomas down. We named him in honor of my father.

"You made mashed potatoes?" he exclaims.

"Of course I did!"

Thomas runs inside as Diana and I stay back.

"I love you so much, Bruce."

I look at her and smile. "Remind me of how I got so lucky, again?"

She wraps her arms around me and grins, "We stayed strong."

Stay strong.

"We completed the mission, didn't we? The one where we went to Tartarus?" I ask.

She shakes her head and bites her lip. "I don't remember going to Tartarus alone with you, Bruce. There was the one time when the whole League went, but other than that.."

"You sure?"

"Positive," she says with a smile. She gives me a soft kiss on the cheek and heads inside.

She turns around to face me and pauses for a moment.

"Oh, I just remembered!"

She remembered the mission?

"We're going skiing with your parents tomorrow! Don't forget to pack, alright?"

My parents? How? But.. They're dead.

"Diana, they're alive?"

She narrows her eyes at me and chuckles, "Why wouldn't they be?"

I shake my head and reply, "Forget it. I got mixed up. I'll be right in, just give me a second."

This isn't reality. My parents aren't dead, I have a son, and I'm married. What I wouldn't give to make this real, though.

I need to go back.

Diana.

I need to go and find her. I need to make sure that's she's safe. What if she's going through the same thing? This is just a part of the challenge. Come on, Bruce. You haven't failed so far and you aren't going to start now.

"Bruce, you coming inside?"

Ignore her. She's not real.

Diana's voice fades away as a sharp ringing gets louder. I close my eyes and concentrate.

Reality.

I open my eyes again and find myself surrounded by the darkness. I don't feel the pull anymore. Diana must be fine.

"Bruce? Bruce, where are you?" Diana calls out.

"I'm over here!" I shout back.

Thank God she's alright.

Diana comes into sight and I run to her. I take her into my arms and hold her tight.

"Bruce, I was so scared of losing you. I was back home and I saw my sister. I never left the island."

"We had a son. My parents were alive."

I can tell that she's hurting for me by the way she looks at me after I said that.

"It's okay. Let's just get out of here."

A burst of light erupts from the floor of the space about twenty feet away from us.

"Let's go. We're going to finish this," I tell her.

"The sooner the better."


End file.
